Cattle-guard.



D. GRANT.

CATTLE GUARD. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10,1913.

when

llv

M5, m m

un Memo l I 1 i D. GRANT.

CATTLE GUARD. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1913.

Patented M31124, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ITE al DANIEL GRANT, OF HAIMILTON, MONTANA,

iS F TE ssIe oR, BY Dian-or AND ll IESNE AssIGN ivrnN'rs, or THIRTYTTWO. AND ONE-THIRD oNaHUNDRNDTris'rO PEARL- nE Ns. I TON, or HAMILTON, MONTANA, AND THIRTY-THREE AND ONE-THIRD ONE-HUN- DRnDTHs 'ro EDWARD HOZEFENBRODEIJ, or BUTTE, MONTANA.

CATTLE-GUARD.-

v To all whom it may cone-em A Be it known that I, DANIEL GRANT, a citizen of the .United States, residing at Ham: ilton, in the county of Ravalli and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvemeuts in Cattle-Guards, -of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates most especially to protective means forpreventing cattle leaving a roadway or crossing when passing over a railroad track and following the latter, and consists chiefly of a hinged guard which normally lies upon the road bed of the track so as to be out of the way of a passing train and which is automatically elevated by the weight of an animal when attempting to follow the track, thereby presenting a barrier to hinder the animal from leaving the crossing and passing along the line of ra1lway.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, and pointed out 1n the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings, fornnng a part of the specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cattle guard for railways embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is asectlon on the line m';v of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the guard elevated.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

The invention is adapted to be applied to railways generally and comprises a platform adapted to sustain the weight of the animal and a gate mounted-to normally rest upon the road bed so as to be out of the way and having connection with the platform to be elevated thereby when the platform is depressed by the weight of the animal imposed thereon.

The railway illustrated is .of ordinary construction and comprises ties 1'. and rails 2. A guard is located between the rails and at each side of the track, each of the'guards being of like construction, hence a detailed description of one will suflice for a clear understanding of the invention. The latform 3 is hinge at one edge to one of t e ties 1 vertical direction. The platform of the middle guard is of a length to extend between Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lVIar, 24, 1914,

and is free to swing at its opposite edge 'll] a i the rails Qand of a width to fill'theispace between adjacent ties. The .platformmay-be in any manner.

of any construction and hingedto the-tie l The gate or guard proper may be er any;

form to present abarrier to-hinderan a-nimal from passing along the line of railway.-

In the construction illustrated the gatecon sists of a header at and a plurality of rods or bars 5 extending therefrom. .Theseparts may be of any material. The gate is hingedly connected to thetie adjacent the free edge of the'platform and the face 6 of the header 4: adapted to abut against the top side of the tie to which the gate is hinged is inclined in such a direction as to prevent the gate assuming a vertical position, thereby preventing it remaining on a dead center and failing to close after the platform has been relieved of the weight of the animal. The gate closes automatically by its own weight and at the same time raises the platform slightly at its free edge. A buffer 7 is provided. upon the top side of the tie near the one to which the gate is hinged'and receives the impact of the gate when lowering, thereby cushioning the blow. A cushion 8 is interposed between the gate and the tie to which the gate is hinged and serves the dual purpose of relieving shock incident to the sudden elevation of the gate and to act as means for initially starting the gate when lowering after the platform has been re lieved of the weight of the animal. The cushion 8 also serves in a measureto prevent overstraining of the hinge connections between the platform and gate and the ties to which they are connected. Flexible connections 9 are interposed between the gate and platform and are so arranged that when the free edge of the platform is depressed the gate is caused to assume an upright position, The connections 9 may consist of wire rope or chain, one end being attached to the platform and the opposite end being secured to the header 4 and passing upwardly there over so that when the platform is depressed apull upon the flexible connections 9 causes,

- a swingmg of-the gate. from a horizontal to an approximately vertical position.

lbs

When the invention is ,installed on aline of railway thefplatfornihnd gate occupy- ,such relative positions as not tointeij feie with the free passage of trains, but whenlananimal attempts toleave the road or crossing'and steps upon the platform the same is de ressed and the gate elevated, thereby 0 ering an obstructionto prevent the ammal continuing along the line of railway,

It is to be understood that both sides of the roadway or crossing are similarly-equipped and that the guards at the sides of the track may be of any length to extend to the inclosures. I j

1 From the 'fore oi'ngdescription, taken in connection with t e accompanying drawings,

' the advantages of the construction and-of the methodfof operation-will be readily ap-.

parent to those skilled in the art to which ,the inventionappertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of t'he finvention, together with the device which-I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and

that such ch angles maybe made when desired -.as are withint e scope of the-claim.aPPended hereto, 1

' 'Havin is cl'aime A cattle guard for railways comprising a depressible platform, a gate forming a co'unterbalance for the platform to hold it elevatedand mounted to swing toward and thus described the invention what from' a vertical plane, a buffer arranged to- Y come betweenthe hinged end of the gate and the part to which such gateis hinged and serving as cushioning means as well as providinga'stop to limit the movement of the gate to prevent it reaching and stopping on 40 I aj-dead, center, and connecting means between the gate and platform to cause both to niove in unison.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I DANIEL-GRANT.

' .Witnessesz" I M. F., GU1N0N,

C. OERTLI.

'00)! 01 thll patent maybe obtained for five cents each, lay addressing the Commissioner of Patents. I

Washingt on, D10."

as new, s: 30 

